Time of Mourning
by AzraelRyell
Summary: The dreaded Oni Island has been destroyed and the demon Ninetails defeated. Sei-An city is now in a period of celebration, everyone enjoying themselves and glad that they are finally safe. Everyone but one being. The sun goddess is unable to get past her failures and the lost lives of Himiko and Rao. In her time of mourning, only one person can get through to her. Human Ammy.


**First fic oh boy. I absolutely adore the Okami storyline, art direction, and characters. It's just amazing! Unfortunately, I own nothing relating to Okami or the game itself :c Though I wish I did. This is just a tiny one-shot with Ammy and Waka after the destruction of Oni Island. I hope you enjoy~**

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Celebrations could be heard through the streets of Sei-An City. The capitol was amuck with decorations and parades in honor of the destruction of the cursed Oni Island and the Dark Lord herself, Ninetails. But not all was well, even with all of the colors and music flowing through the majestic streets of the Aristocratic and Commoners Quarters. One woman was slowly sinking in despair. Sitting atop of the Queen's palace and looking over the beautiful grave of the deceased royal was the goddess of the sun, Amaterasu. Being the one that killed the beast who was plaguing the great city, she could feel the praise coming from the people below her, though she did not acknowledge it. It was a terrible day for the goddess. Sure, she had managed to destroy the being that had pretended to be one of the gods and saved the city, but at a cost. Two wonderful women lost their lives due to Amaterasu's leisurely pace. She should have moved faster, fought harder, and figured out Ninetails' trick sooner. Maybe then, Himiko would have lived. Maybe if the oh so great goddess had moved her ass faster and skipped the festival after the death of Orochi, she would have gotten to Sei-An City before Rao was killed. Amaterasu pulled her kimono-covered knees up to her chest and laid her head down, her long blonde hair creating a sheet between her and the outside world. She would not cry for she is the one goddess that must show the most strength, but she would mourn.

Suddenly, the soft, solemn sound of a flute could be heard in the wind that brushed over the top of the palace. Amaterasu heard the slight _click _made from the sound of someone's shoes hitting the marble of the roof but refused to acknowledge it. She knew why he was here and that his attempts would be fruitless. Nothing could help her right now. Even though he probably sensed that, he still stood next to her and began to speak. "It's beautiful isn't it? Even though it is dedicated to something awful, they really did a wondrous job of personifying her. It is what Himiko would have wanted," his voice was like the sound of the flute he played, melodic but with a hint of sadness, when he spook of the Queen's elegant grave. She lifted her head slightly and gave him a sharp look with her golden eyes, sending a signal that showed she didn't want him there. He just stared back with his ocean blue ones and didn't move. After a few minutes of the silent staring battle, Amaterasu turned back to the grave. She wasn't going to humor him. They stayed like that until the sun began to set depressingly early, a sign of the sun goddess' sadness. "It is not your fault, ma cherie," he said quietly, as if not to disturb the dead. Amaterasu's fingers twitched angrily. Not her fault? How was it not her fault? "Amaterasu," he said more firmly to get her to look at him.

"What?" she growled, more animal than human.

"It's not your-,"

She snapped. Maybe she snapped because Issun was ignoring everything that had happened these past few days and was partying down in the streets. Or that she had many specific reasons for it being her fault. Or maybe because he knew she wasn't in the mood to talk and yet, here he is trying to get her to speak. Amaterasu jolted up to her feet, her long white kimono pooling slightly at her feet while the red markings on the clothing seemed to glow with anger. She moved her hands to the Celestial Brush that hung at her side threateningly and glared at the blond-haired man. His feathered hat was currently off, revealing his long locks which were tied back to keep them out of his face. He was wearing his typical attire, his pink kimono and purple hakama that flowed slightly in the wind. The man was balancing precariously on his tall, red tengu-geta, which put him at least two heads taller than the goddess. To say he was handsome would be an understatement; the foreign man had his own air around him, something no one could touch. That wouldn't stop Amaterasu though, for the sun goddess was pissed. "You say it's not my fault? Let me tell you exactly why it is. I decided that, instead of finishing my job and cleansing the rest of Nippon _quickly_, I should just take a break and enjoy the festivities in my honor. But you know what that did? It _killed_ two very important women; women that could have helped us heal the rest of the land. But instead, one was rotting in a cavefor_ weeks_ while the other was deceived by someone she thought was a friend. I could have prevented it. I could have stopped it. I'm the goddess of the sun, the always good and mother to all. But they're still _dead_, Ushiwaka. _Dead!_"

In that moment, the great goddess didn't care about hiding how weak she thought she was and fell to her knees, placing her face in her hands. She couldn't handle the deaths of those she was close to, even in her previous reincarnations. A sharp sob forced its way out of her throat, echoing in the silence that surrounded the two unearthly beings. Horrible thoughts and images were tumbling through Amaterasu's head at a startling pace; Himiko dead beside her throne, Rao's body rotting in a random cave for weeks, demons from Oni Island terrorizing the citizens of Sei-An City. All of it because she just couldn't move _fast_ enough. The goddess didn't even hear Waka crouch down next to her due to the sheer volume of regrets. When she felt his touch on her shoulders, though, she was snapped out of the void of her own making. "Look at me, ma cherie," Amaterasu lifted her head, eyes wide with fear and light hair falling in front of her face. "Yes, you may have been able to get here faster but it wouldn't have mattered if you did or not. Rao died almost immediately after you killed Orochi. Nothing would have changed. Besides, your people were just trying to show their appreciation. There is nothing wrong with enjoying that," Waka lifted one of his hands from the goddess' shoulder, brushing the pale hair from her face and tucking it behind her ear. It was a rare gesture of affection from him, something that isn't shown often between the two. Because of that, this small action caused a light blush to dust over Amaterasu's face. "No one blames you. No one but yourself, ma cherie," Waka said softly, his breath brushing over her face. They sit like that for a moment, the sun goddess thinking about what Waka had said. The negative feelings slowly leave her eyes, a small yet bright glint left in their wake. The sun, though setting, also seems to brighten a little just before dipping under the horizon.

"I… Thank you, Waka," Amaterasu gives him a small smile, wiping away some wetness from her golden eyes. A loud bang causes the two to look up. Fireworks of many shapes and sizes burst in the sky, lighting up the city in many colors.

"What do you say we go enjoy the festivities with your little friend?" Waka says as he turns back to Amaterasu and stands, reaching a hand down to the goddess. She gives a slight nod and grips his hand, allowing him to help her up. Their hands stay interlocked as they make their way from the beautiful gravesite to the festival down below.


End file.
